Chicago sits at the mouth of the river that shares the same name. It has a shoreline along Lake Michigan and thus became a major transportation hub for the Midwest as resources throughout the country converged on the city: grain, beef, iron, all were transported to this city. Chicago is the third largest city in the US between LA & Houston with a population of 2.87 million people and covers an area of 234 square miles. The nearest major city is Detroit which is over 225 miles away.